Lille vs Chelsea: Betting preview ahead fo Champions League last-16 clash

Chelsea will be looking to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League when they take on Lille in France this evening.

The Blues put one foot in the last-8 after easing to a 2-0 victory in the first leg at Stamford Bridge three weeks ago so they’ll be confident of getting the job done on the road tonight.

Thomas Tuchel’s side warmed up for the game with a win over Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon. Kai Havertz scored a dramatic late goal to seal a 1-0 victory and tighten Chelsea’s grip on third place in the Premier League table.

The Blues are eight points clear of fourth-placed Arsenal but have played two more games than their rival so they still have plenty of work to do to secure one of the Champions League qualification places for next season.

However, Chelsea are still in with a shout of winning this years competition and they’ll be confident of getting a positive result away to Lille. The Ligue 1 side have only won one of their last four home games following a 0-0 draw with Saint Etienne last Friday.

Betting odds

Champions League matches attract interest to the betting markets from all over Europe. Odds will fluctuate across different sites so bettors should keep an eye out for the best odds. Bookmakers will be vying for your business by offering free spins or other bonuses so shop around for the best offers.

Currently, Chelsea are the 10/11 favourites to win the game tonight and a whopping 1/80 on to progress to the quarter-finals. Lille can be backed at 10/3 to win the second leg at home and are on offer at 14/1 to turn the tie around to book their place in the last-8.

We think Chelsea will be too strong tonight and a 2-1 away win looks tempting at odds of 15/2. If we add Havertz as the first goalscorer the odds increase to 48/1 – which looks like a terrific bet.

Team news

Chelsea have been handed a big boost as Cesar Azpilicueta is back in contention after recovering from a knock. Marcos Alonso has also travelled to France after missing the Newcastle game following a positive covid test.

However, Reece James hasn’t been risked as he’s been left back in London to continue his recovery from a muscle injury. Callum Hudson-Odoi is another absentee as he’s out with a calf complaint.

Ben Chilwell is a long-term concern for Chelsea with the England international unlikely to play again this season following knee surgery.

Tuchel may decide to freshen things up with the likes of Thiago Silva, Mateo Kovacic, Romelu Lukaku, Christian Pulisic and Saul Niguez all pushing for recalls along with Azpilicueta and Alonso.

Prediction

Lille 1-2 Chelsea: The French outfit will be desperate to turn things around in front of their home fans but it’s a huge task to overturn a 2-0 deficit. Chelsea have by far the better quality throughout their squad and should be confident of finishing the job tonight.

Tuchel won’t take too many risks or leave his side too open so we’re not expecting an end-to-end classic. However, Chelsea should have enough firepower to secure a narrow away win to book their place in the next phase.